CERTHIA NIPALENSIS, Hodgs.
Nepaulese Creeper.
Certhia Nipalensis, Hodgs.—Blyth, Mon. of Indian Certhiadee.—Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. iii. Appendix,
p. 7.—Blyth, Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 188.
Certhia discolor, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xiv. p. 580 ?—lb. Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Beng.,
p. 188 ?
M r. B ly th has published several short notices of a Creeper which he considers to be distinct from
both the C. Nipalensis and C. Himalayana; and which he says is “ distinguished by having the entire
under parts uniform dingy brown, or very much sullied albescent; whereas in the preceding species the
under parts are pure white tinged with ferruginous on the sides of the breast, and the flanks as well
as the lower tail-coverts are deep ferruginous. Upon a first view it might be thought that the under parts
of C. discolor are merely dirty, but the colour is not to be washed out, and five specimens before me
are all quite similar; while in the three Nepaul specimens of the other (C. Nipalensis'), the white is
alike pure, and the flanks deep ferruginous.” I have had an opportunity of making a careful comparison
o f the bird, to which Mr. Blyth has assigned the appellation of discolor, with the true C. Nipalensis of
Mr. Hodgson: in size, and in the general markings of their upper surface they are precisely similar; on
the other hand, as Mr. Blyth states, the whole of the under surface of his C. discolor is of a sordid greyish
brown. I do not wish to detract from the value o f Mr. Blyth’s opinion, which future research may prove to
be well-founded; but I have thought it better to figure both on one plate, rather than give separate representations
of birds in which so slight a difference is found to exist. Mr. Blyth states in one o f his papers,
that the C. discolor is common at Darjeeling, and in another that it replaces C. Nipalensis in Sikim.
As will be seen on reference to the accompanying Plate, this is in every respect a typical Certhia. No
account, so far as I am aware, has yet been given o f its habits, actions or economy; but we may reasonably
suppose they are very similar to those of the other members of the genus.
General plumage dark brown with a reddish tin g e ; the feathers of the crown with a reddish brown stripe
down the c en tre ; over each eye a broad buffy s trip e ; ear-coverts and upper p art of the back dark brown,
edged with black and with a mark o f buff down the c en tre ; wing-coverts tipped with sandy buff; primaries
and secondaries crossed by a band of buff, the former also margined with buff, and the latter with a narrow
line down the centre and a spot at the tip of the same colour; throat and abdomen white; flanks, upper
and under tail-coverts rufous; tail reddish brown; irides dark brown; bill and feet pale brown.
The figures are of the natural size; the upper one being a representation of the (7. Nipalensis, and the
lower of the bird which Mr. Blyth names C. discolor.